Mail-box.



No.758,446. PATENTE'D APR.26,1904.

I A. M. HOES. I MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2. 1904.

'10 MODEL.

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UNITE STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OF IcE.

ALBERT MARION HOES, OF ST. PAUL, NEBRASKA.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent N 0. 758,446, dated April 26, 1904. l Application filed January 2, 1904. Serial No. 187,457. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MARION Hons, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Paul, in the county of Howardand State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description' This invention relates particularly to improvements in mail-boxes for rural service, the object being to provide a mail-box of this description that will be of simple construc-' tion, inexpensive, having-no parts liable to get out of -order, andso arranged that it may be easily opened and closed.

I will describe a mail-box embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a mailbox embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail showing a means for holding the indicator in position. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing a means for holding the lid open, and Fig. 5 is a detail illustrating a locking-hasp employed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the box-body, which is semicylindrical, and 2 is the lid, which is transversely curved. When the lid is in closed position, it, with the body, forms a cylinder. The body 1 is eccentrically mounted to rotate in arms 3, extended forward from a bar 4, designed to be attached to a post 5 or other suitable support.

As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the bearings for the box comprise tubular lugs 6, secured to the ends of the box and having reduced portions 7 for engaging in perforations 8, formed in the arms 3, and the bearings are held in place by means of bolts 9, passing through the tubular lugs and having nuts 10 at the inner side.

It may be here stated that the box may be made of any suitable metal, and if deemed expedient the ends may be of heavier material than the other parts of the box.

The lid 2 has swinging connection with the arms 3 rearward of the body of the box, and

closed at the ends.

it will be noted that the ends of the lid project outward from the ends of the box and turn downward and also that the rear and front edges are extended outward and turned downward, so that a watershed is provided to prevent the entrance of water'or sleet to the box. Under certain conditionsfor instance, when the box is to be used in warm climatesthe projecting features may be omitted.

Arms 11 have swinging connection with the lid and also have pivotal connection with the ends of the body rearward of the eccentric bearings for said body. As here shown, these arms 11 are extended from a rod 12, having bearings in loops 13, arranged on the inner side of the lid near the front edge.

Mounted to swing on the front edge of the lid is a hasp 14 for engaging with a staple 15 on the body, and through this staple the hasp of a padlock may be passed. When the hasp 14 is released from the staple, the said hasp will be swung outward by means of a metal spring 16, so that the hasp forms a convenient finger-piece for raisingthe lid.

To prevent sleet or moisture passing into the box at the hinged connection of the hasp, I place over the same a housing 17, which is To hold the lid in its complete open position without the aid of the postman or other party removing or deposit- In the operation upon raising the lid the body of the box will be given an eccentric rotary motion, as indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus placing the opening of the box at the front, so that mail-matter may be inserted or removed. As. a means for indicating when the box contains mailmatterlhave provided a flag'l9, the staff 20 of which has pivotal connection with one of the arms 3, and extended forward and downward from the lower end of the staff are fingers 21 22, designed to engage against the upper and lower sides of a pin on the end of the box. As here indicated, this pin 23 is formed by extending the end of one of the arms 11 as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent through the end of the box. In closing the lid with mail-matter in the box the flag is to be held in such position that the pin 23 will pass between the fingers 21 22, thus holding the flag in upright position. Upon opening the lid to remove mail-matter the pin will be moved out of engagement with said fingers, permitting the flag to drop, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. 'A mail-box comprising an eccentricallymounted rotary body, a lid having swinging relation to said body, arms having swinging connection with the lid and pivotal connection with the ends of the body and a spring-clip for engaging one of said arms to hold the lid open. 4

2. A mail-box comprising a transverselycurved body portion, fixed arms in which said body is eccentrically mounted, a transverselycurved lid having swinging connection with said arms, means for holding the lid yieldingly open, and connections between the lid and body whereby the body is rotated by swinging motion of the lid.

, 3. A mail-box comprising a body portion mounted to rotate, a lid mounted to swing relatively to the body, arms having swinging connection with the lid and pivotally connected with the ends of the body rearward of the bearing-points of said body, and a springclip secured to the inner side of the body for engaging with one of said arms to hold the box in open position.

4. A mail-box comprising an eccentricallymounted body, fixed arms in which the body has its bearings, a lid having swinging connection with said arms, connections between the lid and body whereby said body is rotated by swinging movement of the lid, a flag, fingers extended forward from the lower end of the flagstalf, and a pin projecting from one end oi; the box-body for engaging between said fingers.

5. A mail-box comprising a rotary body portion, a swinging lid therefor, having 'its ends projected beyond the ends of the body and turned downward and also having its front and rear edges extended outward'from the body and turned downward, tubular lugs on the ends of the body and having reduced portions supporting arms having perforations to receive said reduced portions, bolts passing through the lugs, and means for causing rotary movement of the body during the swinging movement of the lid.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT MARION I-IOES.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM W. I-IIGHET, NICHOLAS J. PAUL. 

